Education
NAPPS President attributes decline in students performance to poor conditions

The President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Yomi Otubela, has criticised the conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) at nighttime, describing it as unacceptable and detrimental to students’ performance.
Otubela said this on Wednesday when he featured on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.
The criticism followed the release of the 2025 WASSCE results, which showed a significant decline in performance, with only 38.32 per cent of candidates obtaining credit and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
He cited reports of, “Students taking exams with candlelight and torchlight in some states, noting that such conditions undermine academic outcomes.
“We cannot overrule the fact that the condition in which the examination was taken in some states is not acceptable to us.
”The fact that children were taking exams late into the night with candles and torchlights cannot be a standard that will allow us to have commendable results,” he said.
Otubela emphasised that such conditions undermine academic outcomes and cannot produce commendable results.
He attributed the decline in performance to deeper systemic issues in Nigeria’s education sector, including inadequate investment in teacher development.
Otubela noted that there was little evidence of investment in teacher training to enhance mentoring of students.
He also noted that the budgetary allocation to education fell short of the recommended UNESCO benchmark.
Otubela said that many schools lack conducive learning environments, adding that rural areas have limited access to digital resources.
Otubela emphasised the need for a more robust working relationship between private and government stakeholders to identify challenges and proffer lasting solutions.
He also stressed the need for increased investment in teacher development, infrastructure, and digital access to bridge the gap between classroom experience and learning outcomes.
The 2025 WASSCE results showed a significant drop in pass rate, with only 38.32 per cent of candidates achieving credit and above in five subjects, including English and Mathematics.